Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 2, 1894

90
THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
THE LAST MACDONALDS OF ISLA.
By Ch^u!les Fiuser- Mackintosh, F.S A. (Scot).
Part III. — (continued finm pni/e 6f^).
Mff[AMES MACDONALD took sasine at
'^vL the Castle of Mingarrv of the lands of
^^' Ai'dnamurchan on 7th JainuuT, 1551
(the date is en-oneously given as 1550), the
■witnesses being Angus Mak Conn ail, John vie
Aonas llacht, Archibald Stewart, Sir Alexander
Mak Ahster, rector of Kihuore, Farchard .Mak-
kay, Duiiean-\ic-Yvar-dubh, LaehlauBan, Finlay-
Hiaol -iic-lvobau', and Mr. Cornelius Omeyght,
dean of Ivintyre — a goodly Ust of Highland
names and patronymics. The Dean of Ivintyre
wrote and was witness to many of the writs
connected with the Argyles and Macdoualds,
and I observe in the On'i/ines Pwocliiiihs Scotia',
he is sometimes called Omay, sometimes Omey.
In the sasine, which is \witteu by him and also
signed, he describes himself as Master of Arts
and Clerk of Lismore.
In 15iS, -Master Cornelius Omey was pre-
sented by C^ueen Mary as rector of Ivildaltou.
In 1550 he is rector of Kilberry, and at a later
f)eriod parson of Kilblane, dying prior to 1580,
for in that year Donald Campbell is joresented
to the parsonage, vacant bj' the death of Master
Cornelius Omay.
I do not find in the Kilmore lists the name
of the before mentioned rector, who was prob-
ably son or grandson of that Charles Mak
Alexander who, in 1481, received the a2:)point-
ment of steward of Kintyre.
It will be observed that one of the witnesses
is called John, son of Angus, the Isla man.
The name of Isla has ever had a strong hold
on its inhal)itants, and the feeling is chei'ishcd
at this day perhaps more warmly than ever.
The very word, uttered in a strange land in
Gaehc, with that soft plaintive accent peculiar
to Islanders of the West, goes straight to the
heart. When the old Lords of the Isles were
independent, Isla in its Gaelic form was their
favourite; title, and down to their extinction in
the person of John, last Lord of the Isles and
Earl of lioss. their primary title was " de He,"
or " Yle " 'I'hat it was in the Gaelic form,
rather than in English or Latin, is worth
noticing, and gratifuug to Highlanders and
Islanders. Youuger sous were styled "de
Insulis," and " Ilhs."
The next document which I have is the dis
charge for the price of Ardnamurchan, which,
in 172.5, was divided into thirty-one tuw-nships,
ui the aggregate value of 152 pennies, whereof
Mingarry was valued at sLx jjeunies, and Urm-
saigbeg, or The Point, at five pemiies. Of
these thirty-one, three consisted of two 'tene-
ments, \'iz. : — Clash and Ai'tli'iminisli. Daul and
Gortaneorn, Ardtoe and W'aterfoot. The dis-
charge is as follows, the spelling being modern-
ised : — " NN'e, Archibald, Eai'l of Argyle. Lord
Campbell and Lome, &c., &c.. grant us to have
received by the hands of James yiak Coueill of
Dunyvaig and Glenns, the sum of one thousand
merks usual money of Scotland, in complete
payment of his heritable infeftment made by
us to him and his hehs, of all and haill the four
score merk lands of old extent of Ardnamur-
chan. with their pertinents heritably, of the
which Sinn in comjilete payment as said is, we
hold us well content and paid, and quit claim
and discharges the said James Mak C'onoll and
his heirs and all others whom it affects for
now and ever. By this our wiiting, subscribed
with our hand, our signet is affixed at Stirling
the 17th day of February, the year- of (iod
1551 years, before these witnesses — Hector
Maclean of Duart, Archibald Campbell of
Clachane, Master Neil Campbell, parson of
Kilmartyne, Thomas Grahame of Boquhoplo,
and John Grahame of Bociuhople, and others
diverse. (Signed A., Erie of Argyle)." This
designation of the two Grahames brings us
very close to that given by Sir Walter Scott to
one of his minor characters. '■ The Laird of
Balmawhopple.'' The above-mentioned Neil
Campbell appears to have been vicar of lul-
martin in 151:1, also dean of Lochowe, and to
have been succeeded as rector or j^ai'son in
1553 by the well known John Carsewell, created
in 155G Bishop of the Isles, and, after the
Beforuiatiou. Superintendent of Argyle and
the Isles, bv courtesy still called Bishop of the
Islea
The old possessors of Ardnamurchan, the
Maclains, derived from John '■ Sprangaich,"
youngest son of Angus Mor, Lord of the Isles,
this John's sou Angus being the first pro-
prietor. Four generations apparently bring
us to the John Mac Iain who was rewarded
with great possessions for the capture of Sir
John Cathauach, as jireviously mentioned. He
did not enjoy his estates long, and being at-
tacked by Sir Donald of Lochalsh for the jJut-
ting to death of Sir Alexander of lioclialsh, the
warfare lasted fidm I51() to 1518. Mac Iain
was expelled from Ardnannu'chan in 1517, the
Castle of Mingarry ra/.etl to tbe ground, and
in 1518 Mac Iain and his two sons, John and
Angus, were slain in Morveru. Mariot,
daugliter of John Mac lain, was served heir to
him in 15;iS, and two years after Ardnamur-
chan fell into the hands of the Earl of Argyle ;
who in 1550 alit iiated it as above to James
Macdovvald, and the grant w^as continued the
same year by Queen Mary. lu the old castle